So sorry for the late update guys, but I can't get internet connection on my laptop for some reason, and I haven't been able to get connection since last Friday. This chapter's actually been done since then and I was going to put this chapter up last Saturday, but of course I couldn't. So sorry! It's just this weird problem with my laptop, it's really annoying. The next chapter is pretty much already done though, so I should be able to get it up on time (I'm posting this from my Dad's, so next Saturday, I'll just come over to my Dad's again if it's not fixed on my laptop).
Just curious guys, if I set up a P.O. box, would anyone write to me? I think it would just be really awesome and I'd reply to each and every letter! I could even become pen pals with a few of you, if you like, I've always wanted a pen pal. ^^
Happy late 15th birthday to Clearfeather! I hope you had an awesome day! :3
Disclaimer - I do not own Warriors!
.:Review Replies:.
KatieK101 ~ I was so happy when I saw your review! I was worried you'd died or something. ^^' Silly laptop. Thank you so much! There was a lot more fluff than I originally intended, but glad you liked it! Thank you for all the questions on the Q&A by the way! I'll respond to them in a moment. c: I know what you mean about Redflower, she's always going to be a big kid at heart, although she does mature in this book and the next book. Good point about cats getting sick, I've definitely got a big bout of greencough already planned for leaf-bare xD Ya, I'll make one of them ill or injured or something at some point soon. :3 Thank you so much for reviewing! ^^
Blazerkitty129 ~ The Twolegplace cats/division cats are very much, in some ways, like BloodClan, but they have a completely different hierarchy and set-up, although they're just as violent and power-hungry as BloodClan. As for Dewclaw and Redflower having kits... I so desperately want to say something, but I don't want to spoil. We'll just have to wait and see.
FrostblazeOfTheWarriorCats ~ Yay! Frosty! You made an account! c: I'll definitely have a look at your stories later, if I have the time. :3 Of course I don't find it annoying you leaving reviews, I love reviews! They really brighten my day and make writing Blue Moon worthwhile.
XtremeBlaze ~ Thank you! I'm still deciding what to do on the medicine cat situation, although I think I have an idea in mind now. -evil grin- Dewclaw definitely does get an apprentice at some point, although I don't think it's just yet. ;) If you have any ideas for what the contest theme could be, feel free to suggest them, I'm kinda stuck for ideas at the moment! c:
Alwayssearching2012 ~ Yup! One of them does become an expectant parent in this book, but their kits aren't born until the next book. I can't wait to introduce the kits to you guys! I know you're just going to love them. :3
Cupcaketail-of-WindClan ~ I know right,It's all so fluffy and adorable! :) Yus, Cookiesplash of PastryClan. I love it. 3 You can be the leader and I shall be the deputy, Cupcakestar and Cookesplash. Thank you so much! c: Love Cookiesplash x
Orangeflight ~ Thank you! Well, they would visit each other more often (they currently visit each other every other night), but if they did, they'd never get any sleep. xD So, nope, but they spend longer together each night. :3
Spottedmoth123 ~ Thank you! Yus, DewxRed for live, #REWSHIPPING xD We shall be learning a little more about the twolegplace cats gradually each chapter, they're a rather nasty bunch though. -shudder-
Blackfur672 ~ Welcome new reviewer. -bows down- Here's your complimentary cookie and fake moustache. :3 Thank you so much! 3
Clearfeather ~ That story was awesome. You should totally create an account and post your stories! I'm sure everyone else will love them! Happy late birthday! I hope you had an amazing day! I'll be updating the website shortly, I haven't been able to due to no wifi, as for a second series... I'm afraid I probably won't be looking to do a second series after Blue Moon, I was going to, but I think by the time I've finished this series, I'll want to take a little break from writing for a while, then I might work more on some of my own original stories.
... Damn, I was hoping no one would noticed they're related. You're too observant. :/ Just kidding. xD Yah, well, quite a lot of ThunderClan are related anyway, so yeah... Ferncloud and Dustpelt were niece and uncle I think. xD
Shadenight ~ Thank you! :3 That really means a lot to me! DewxRed are an awesome chapter! And yay, fellow Molespots lover! Molespots is my favourite. 3
AngelEnderCat ~ :3 Aw, I hope your hand's better now, I wouldn't be able to cope with stitches, I'm really bad with stuff like that. -shudder- Hope you're feeling better as well!
Stunna13 ~ Thank you! Yeah, I really want to try and include the background characters more, that's what I'm going to try and work on. c:
Skystar of the Ancients ~ Indeed it shall, love shall happen.
Blackoak791 ~ Haha, that would've been awkward for Rapidstream, he would've gotten all sad and quiet. Moley and Amber aren't quite mates yet though, they've still got a little way to go. :3
Guest ~ You're alive! :D Thank you for the review! Sorry, I would've updated last Saturday, had it not been for my stupid internet connection. :/ Sorry 'bout that.
Raven cries Nevermore ~ Thank you! :3
Icebreath ~ Thank you so much! Yus, I wonder what would happen...
Chaos607 ~ Thank you for all the reviews! :3 I would reply to them all individually, but I'm rather lazy... Thanks anyway! 3
Aspenstar7 ~ Nope, Mousewhisker's a tom. Check it out on Warriors Wiki. Thank you! I'll check out your story when I get the chance, I'm sure it's amazing! :3
Dovecloud ~ Aw, thank you! -hugs- Really? I'll definitely check out your stories and try and leave reviews if I can! ^^
Anyway, here we are, sorry again for the wait, enjoy!
Dewclaw
"My name is Night, and these are my watchers."
Even just the way the black tom delivered those words sent Dewclaw's thick grey fur bristling. A growl rising in his throat, the ThunderClan tom instinctively took a step forward, shielding Redflower and his sister. Some of the cats around him displayed similar reactions, whilst there were some that looked absolutely terrified out of their pelts, frozen to the spot in shock horror.
From the great oak, several of the clans leaders looked as though they were about to speak, when the black tom, Night, cut in, "Silence. I'm only going to tell you this once, so you'd better be listening, I won't repeat myself," he sat himself down casually, tail flicking from side to side. A powerful, reddish tabby tom took a step forward, so that he flanked Night. On the black tom's other side, a brown tabby she-cat did the same.
"You might be wondering why we're here, intruding on your so-called 'truce gathering'," the sleek-pelted black tom began. At the mention of the gathering a few cats looked rather alarmed, how did he know about the gathering?
Night chuckled, "You're surprised I know about this? Well, I do my research," his piercing blue gaze flickered over the clan cats, "You didn't think I'd just randomly decided to check out some island and risk crossing a tree-bridge," he scoffed, "As I was saying…"
He cleared his throat, "Myself and my companions come from a town, well, twolegplace for you I suppose, a half-moon's travel from here. Before you even consider attacking us, you must know that many more of us live there, several other divisions, I bring just a small selection of our cats, so if you were to do so," he unsheathed his claws, "It would prove a tragic decision. For, united, we outnumber all of you greatly."
Outnumber us? Dewclaw snorted, rolling his eyes, He's lying. There's no way all those cats can outnumber five clans, it's impossible.
"Moving swiftly on," Night continued, "As previously mentioned, there is a great number of us living in the 'twolegplace', and we're starting to experience a lack of space as our territory can simply not support all of us," he lifted his gaze to the clan leaders, who, by now, had leapt from the branches of the great oak, to stand before each of their clans, "So, our leader, the guardian, has come up with a solution. To resettle away from those lousy upwalkers, twolegs sorry, and after scouting several places, we have chosen our new home, here."
That's when the uproar began. It was only natural that everyone gathered objected to the black tom's words.
"Excuse me? Who do you think you are? Marching in here and deciding to settle here?"
"Sounds like SkyClan all over again."
"This is ridiculous, the lake belongs to the clans!"
"Get out of here, you piece of fox-dung!"
The black tom unsheathed his claws, strolling forwards casually so he stood face to face with the five clan leaders, "Were you not listening? I said silence. I don't take to rudeness, particularly talking while I'm speaking," there was a slightly unsettling tone to his mew, "Before I was so rudely interrupted, I was saying, the lake is to be our location of resettlement, so obviously, your presence here is… somewhat of a problem," he paused, inhaling then slowly exhaling, "So, I have come up with a compromise. You have two choices; join us, or leave the lake."
Dewclaw's hackles were bristling with rage, That mangy piece of fur! How dare he just stroll in here like he owns the place? "The lake belongs to the clans," the dark grey tom growled, drawing back his lip in a snarl, "It always will. I suggest you get out of here before we completely rip you to shreds!"
Redflower, touched her tail-tip to his chest gently, "Shhh, don't cause any trouble, we don't want to fight these cats," she mewed under her breath softly, concern flickering behind her bright green gaze. The dark grey tom felt his heart torn between Redflower and standing up for his clan, for all the clans. Sighing, he clamped his jaws shut. But it wasn't just Dewclaw who was outraged at Night's proposal.
Across the clearing, many of the gathered cats were raising their voices in protest, others looked completely and utterly shocked, unable to comprehend the sudden turn of events. Crowstar silenced these calls with a sharp flick of his black-and-white tail, "Never!" he hissed, amber eyes blazing, "The lake belongs to the clans, why would we just let a group of mouse-brains like you live here? Go on, run back to your silly twolegplace, where you belong."
Night didn't seem at all fazed, "As much as that offer is tempting, we didn't travel this far to simply turn on our tails and return home," he held Crowstar's gaze boldly, "We're here now and we're here to stay. We need a new home, this will be our new home. If you're not willing to co-operate and leave, or even join us, then you can expect war."
Dewclaw swallowed, the word 'war' sending shivers down his spine. Whether they were shivers of excitement or fear, he wasn't quite sure. War. Battle. He loved battle. But… His gaze drifted to Redflower beside him. The dappled tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat's green eyes were wide with fear and she trembled a little. The dark grey tom wanted so desperately to comfort her, but they were under the eyes of all the clans here, he couldn't take such a risk.
"War," she whimpered, "We can't go to war. Can't we all just live in peace?"
Shocked gasps rippled amongst the gathered cats. Mistystar, alarm flaring behind her bright blue gaze, took a step forward, "Surely there's some other way we can resolve this, rather than resorting to violence," she suggested gently.
Onestar gave a sharp flick of his tail, "Yes, there is another way," he murmured thoughtfully, taking a step forward, "You can't have the lake. I propose that SkyClan should give over their territory, they don't belong at the lake after all, they can just find some other place to live."
What? That piece of WindClan scum! SkyClan belong here, not those mouse-brained twolegplace cats! Why would you even suggest that? The stocky grey tom glared at the WindClan leader, pelt bristling with fury and claws sinking into the earthy clearing floor.
"We can't just do that," Bramblestar argued, shouldering his way to the front, to stand right before the black tom cat, "We'll never give up the lake, at least without a fight, the lake is ours. This is our home. We don't want to cause any trouble, you're welcome to leave peacefully now and we won't ever bother you," he met Night's icy blue gaze, "But if you do choose to stay and try to make this your home too, if you try to drive us from our home, know this; you'll never win."
Yowls of agreement rose up into the night, piercing the quiet of the night. Dewclaw joined in, raising his voice and calling as loud as he could. They couldn't let these mouse-brained cats just take their home, as if. He would fight to live beside the lake, it was his home, it was the home of all of the clans, especially SkyClan. Onestar's suggestion for SkyClan to leave had been absolutely ridiculous. The dark grey tom knew the WindClan leader was rather hostile towards the fifth clan, so he was probably just using any excuse to drive SkyClan out. Why would they just hand territory over to the twolegplace cats anyway? That made the clans look weak.
Night stared at Bramblestar for a moment, expression cold, "I can see you're not going to co-operate. You're just making things a lot harder for yourselves," his gaze drifted across the gathered cats, "If war's what you want, then war's what you'll get," he glanced over his shoulder at the group of cats surrounding him, "Keep on your toes, because one thing's certain, we'll be watching," he nodded to his accomplices and for a second they were still, then they melted into the shadows of the undergrowth, their paw steps so soft, that they were almost inaudible. A couple of clan cats rose to their paws, as if about to chase after them, but the clan leaders motioned for them to stop. Dewclaw couldn't quite believe what had just happened and was quivering with frustration. We should've just attacked them! Defeated them whilst we could! Now, we have no idea where they'll go and whether they'll attack.
For a heartbeat or so, no one was quite sure how to respond to the situation and all was silent. That was until protesting words began to rise into the night air.
"We should've attacked them, we should've driven them all the way to where they came from! They might attack our camps! They'll steal our kits!"
"We've got to do something, we can't just let them walk in and steal our territory!"
"What about our kits?!"
"This is just like what happened with SkyClan, yet we happily let them settle beside the lake. What makes this so different? I agree with Onestar; SkyClan must leave the lake, then the twolegplace cats can have their territory and they'll leave us be."
Amongst the calling and raised voices, the five clan leaders leapt back up into the branches of the great tree. Gradually, the noise died down as the clan leaders each stepped forward to address the five gathered clans. It was Leafstar who spoke first, amber gaze flitting from the clan leaders to the gathered cats in the clearing below, "Despite suggestions, I'd like to make it clear that SkyClan will not leave the lake. This is our home as much as it's yours and we are certainly not moving to make way for those cats," her voice was strong and determined, "If they're true to their words and their group of cats outnumber us, I would like to suggest that we form an alliance, so that we stand at a stronger chance of success in battle against them."
Bramblestar nodded in agreement, stepping forward so he flanked Leafstar's left side, "I agree, SkyClan should remain beside the lake. An alliance would certainly be a way forward."
Onestar frowned, shaking his head, "An alliance? We're perfectly capable of defending and protecting our own clans, there's no need for an alliance," his amber gaze flickered to Leafstar, "I still stand by to my words of SkyClan leaving the lake. If they do outnumber us, fighting them will only end up in warriors being slaughtered, they don't follow a warrior code, who says they won't kill to win? If they have SkyClan's territory, and perhaps some more of the territory just beyond the thunderpath, they'll surely be satisfied and we can avoid the deaths of many warriors."
The ShadowClan leader paused before speaking, an unreadable emotion flickering behind his gaze, "I agree with Onestar. SkyClan don't belong beside the lake anyway, they're not a true clan, there have only ever been four clans, ShadowClan, WindClan, RiverClan and ThunderClan. It's the obvious choice, war will only bring death."
It was only Mistystar who had yet to speak and voice her opinion on the situation. Dewclaw was rather furious that they were suggesting driving SkyClan from the lake. SkyClan were one of the five clans, they always had been! The dark grey tom hadn't travelled several moons for the fifth clan to be driven away as soon as they'd reached the lake. Besides, he didn't quite know what he'd do without Redflower. He instinctively moved closer to the dappled tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat, their pelts almost touching.
"Whilst war is the last thing I want for my clan, for all of the clans," Mistystar began, stepping forward into the pale moonlight, "I believe it's inevitable in this situation. Even if they were to have SkyClan's territory, I doubt they'd be satisfied and still attack anyway. Besides, SkyClan is one of the clans, we can't drive them away," she glanced over at the brown-and-cream tabby leader, smiling ever so slightly, "I believe an alliance would certainly be a wise choice."
Onestar swallowed, his gaze searching the faces of the other clan leaders, "This has been a very sudden turn of events. I believe what is best now is for all of the clans to return to their camps and all the clan leaders should meet again in a few sunrises to discuss. This is not a matter we can deal with without further thought and consideration. We must make a decision together, our homes are at stake."
"That would be a wise choice," Mistystar agreed, nodding, "I suggest we meet in two sunrises at sun-high, Perhaps deputies should also attend and a few trusted warriors of each clan."
All the clan leaders seemed content with that suggestion. Leafstar smiled, "Then it is agreed, meeting in two sunrises at sun-high, on the gathering island I presume?"
The leader of each clan nodded in agreement. Bramblestar took a deep breath, his expression stern as he sprung down from the branch of the great oak, "With that in mind, it's time for us to return to the Stone Hollow," he motioned for his clan to come together. Dewclaw cast a glance over at Redflower, swallowing, "I'd better go," he murmured softly, "See you tomorrow night?"
The dappled tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat smiled, purring ever so slightly, "Of course, I'll be there."
The dark grey tom smiled, rising to his paws and glancing over at his clanmates briefly, "Stay safe."
He began to make his way over to the rest of his clan. Redflower called over his shoulder, voice soft and warm, "May StarClan light your path."
Ambersky
Ambersky's heartbeat was still unsteady from the gathering when they arrived back in camp. She still couldn't quite comprehend all that happened; the arrival of the twolegplace cats, the threat of war, the possibility of SkyClan being driven from the lake or even an alliance amongst the clans. It was all too much to take in and, in all honesty, the pale grey-and-white she-cat didn't quite know what to make of it all other than absolute fear. The possibility of war rocked her deeply. All she wanted for all of the clans was peace. Was that so much to ask?
All that she wanted right now was to talk to someone, to confide her fears in someone she could trust. Molespots perhaps?
As she fell in behind Dewclaw, ducking under the thorn barrier, Ambersky immediately knew something wasn't right. The Stone Hollow was almost empty, apart from sparse collections of cats, scattered about the place, their faces reading concern. Concern for what? What's wrong?
Upon the gathering party's arrival, a few cats glanced up, acknowledging their presence with gracious dips of the head. The rest ignored them, their heads angled towards the nursery. The pale grey-and-white she-cat detected a lot of movement behind the bramble den walls. Then the first pained screech rose from the nursery.
Ambersky padded forwards, crossing the clearing to where Dustpelt was pacing up and down outside the den, worry pooling in his amber gaze, It can't be Ivypool kitting can it? But she's not due for another moon and a half! Oh StarClan, I hope the kits are okay.
"What is it?" she asked the dark brown tabby elder, concern flickering behind her bright amber eyes, "Is Ivypool kitting?"
Dustpelt blinked, not pausing in his restless pacing, "No, it's Icecloud," his voice was thick with worry for his only daughter. Ambersky took a moment to process the information. Wait, what? Icecloud? Icecloud's kitting? That can't be possible. She's not… expecting.
Then it hit her. That explained why the white she-cat had been so snappy for the last moon or so, why she's been so tired, why she'd gained a little weight. How did I not realise before? It was so obvious!
Blinking, still quite unable to believe what was happening, the grey-and-white patched warrior turned to Dustpelt once more, "She's kitting?" she echoed, "Did you… Did you know she was expecting?"
But all the grey-and-white she-cat was think about was who was the father? Ambersky hadn't noticed the white warrior being particularly close to any toms, she didn't have a mate, as far as she knew.
Dustpelt shook his head, still not meeting her gaze, "No," he replied bluntly. Ambersky got the sense that, in his state of anxiety, the dark brown tabby tom wanted a bit of space, so she dipped her head respectfully to the elder before padding over to where the gathering party were mulling about by the Thorn Barrier. Those that hadn't attended the gathering were starting to pool around them, thirsty for news about the night's gathering.
Lionblaze had begun explaining the events of the night to Blossomfall, Lilystream and Squirrelflight, but Bramblestar hushed him with a flick of his dark tabby-striped tail before bunching his muscles and springing up onto the Highledge, his yowl echoing across the stone hollow, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather below the Highledge for a clan meeting!"
The news of the arrival of the twolegplace cats' arrival was met with mixed reactions. There were some that wanted to attack the cats, others feared war, whilst some remained completely mute. Ambersky obviously didn't want war, but she knew driving away SkyClan wasn't the answer. She supported an alliance, but she wasn't sure what the rest of the clan thought of it. Based on the gathering, it looked like, if there was to be an alliance, right now, it would probably only consist of SkyClan, RiverClan and ThunderClan. WindClan and ShadowClan certainly hadn't been that keen on it.
As the clan broke away, dispersing from the centre of the Stone Hollow into their dens, Dustpelt emerged from the Nursery. The elderly tom looked exhausted, but his amber eyes shone. Has Icecloud had her kits? Ambersky, in an attempt to take her mind off the twolegplace cats, crossed the clearing to the dark brown tabby tom.
"How is she?"
The brown tabby tom didn't quite meet her gaze, but he continued to smile, "She's fine, she has four healthy kits," he rasped, "three little she-kits and a tom."
Ambersky couldn't help but grin, her worries of the twolegplace evaporating like the mist as she shared in the joy of the kits lives, "Congratulations," her gaze briefly dipped to the Nursery, "Is she up for any visits? It'd only be a quick one, I'd love to meet ThunderClan's newest members."
The dark brown tabby tom hesitated before responding, "So long as it's only quick, I'm sure that'd be okay, she's rather tired though."
Ambersky smiled, amber eyes glowing, "It'll only be quick," she assured him, "I know she's probably still recovering from it all."
Dustpelt nodded, then, without a word, he pushed through the brambles, leading the way into the Nursery. Ambersky followed in silence, smiling quietly to herself. Four new little kits for ThunderClan! What a beautiful surprise.
The new mother lay in a soft, mossy nest, exhaustion tugging at her eyelids, but a warm, rumbling purr resounding from her chest. Tucked at her belly were four wriggling bundles of fur. Ambersky smiled, stepping forward into the warmth of the den, "Congratulations, Icecloud, they're adorable," she purred, her amber gaze lapping over the four little kits, "Do they have names yet?"
The white she-cat glanced up at the grey-and-white warriors, blue eyes bright with love for her tiny kits, "Thank you," she mewed softly, casting a brief glance at her kits every few seconds, as if worried she'd disturb them, "I've named all but one," she told her. She let her tail-tip brush lightly over the largest kit, the tom kit. He was a light brown tabby, his left ear and underbelly white. There was also a little white splashed on his back, "This one is Oak-kit."
Ambersky gave a soft purr, admiring Oak-kit fondly. Occasionally he would let out a high-pitched mewling as he aimlessly tried to find the warm curve of his mother's belly, his eyes still closed. The white she-cat gently guided the little tom to her side once more and the crying subsided. Ambersky couldn't help but smile, a deep longing rising from within. That bond that a mother and kit shared was just so beautiful, the pale grey-and-white she-cat hoped that one day, she'd experience that same bond, that same everlasting love.
"And this little one is Specklekit."
It was obvious, with her dark mottled pelt, where Specklekit got her name. She was also pale brown in colour, the little freckles most obvious on her back and around her paws. She was the smallest of the litter and remained quite still and quiet as she immersed herself in the warmth of her mother's soft, silky belly fur.
Icecloud inclined her head towards the next kit, who was curled up in between Oak-kit and Specklekit, "Tricklekit."
Tricklekit, unlike Specklekit and Oak-kit, was pale grey-and-white with neat, ginger paws and short white whiskers. She had a longer pelt than her littermates, she was certainly the fluffiest kit Ambersky had ever seen. It was hard to imagine that once she'd been that small, tiny at Brightheart's belly, so little, innocent, with a whole world waiting to be explored.
"I still need a name for this lively little she-kit though," Icecloud let her tail-tip rest on the flank of wriggliest kit, a small white she-kit with a splash of grey on her side. Despite only being newborn, the unnamed kit was clambering over her littermates, stumbling about on a quest of her own. Ambersky chuckled, nosing the she-kit back towards her mother. Icecloud blinked gratefully.
"They're so tiny!" a little voice squeaked from Ambersky's side. The pale grey-and-white she-kit let her gaze fall down to find a small silver tabby she-kit with bright green eyes and a white underbelly gazing up at her. It was none other than little Featherkit, one of Dovewing's daughters, "I hope they don't stay this small forever, I really want to play with them! It's become so boring without Flamepaw, Nettlepaw and Finchpaw. They're so fun to play with! But they're apprentices now."
Ambersky crouched down so she was at the same height as the little she-kit, "I don't think you'll be able to play with them just yet, not until they've opened their eyes," she mewed softly, amber eyes warm, "You must be Featherkit, I'm Ambersky."
The little silver tabby she-kit stared at her for a while, "Are you going to come live with us? Are you going to have kits too?" her green eyes lit up with excitement, "More kits to play with! You can have my nest if you like, I'm sure Dovewing won't mind."
Ambersky's whiskers twitched with amusement, "No, I'm not expecting kits," she purred, amber eyes glowing with amusement, "And I don't think I will be for a while yet, I don't even have a mate."
Featherkit pouted, "Cherryflower said you were in love with Molespots," she chirruped, "She said that you might come and join us in a few moons and have kits of your own?"
Oh, Cherryflower. Why'd you tell her that? She chuckled, touching her tail-tip to Featherkit's side lightly, "Oh, no no, Molespots and I aren't mates," she told the silver tabby she-kit, "I wish," she muttered under her breath, "Cherryflower can be a bit silly sometimes. I wouldn't always believe her."
"Featherkit, come along now, you should be asleep," Dovewing mewed softly from her nest, "Let Ambersky be."
The silver tabby she-kit sighed, "Aw, but I'm not tire"- she was interrupted mid sentence by a wide yawn. Amusement sparked in Ambersky's bright amber gaze.
Dovewing crossed the den, scooping up the little kit, "Come along now, my honey," she mewed softly, "Time for bed. You need all your energy for your adventures tomorrow."
Featherkit smiled tiredly as her mother lowered her into her cosy, mossy nest, "Oh, okay then," her green gaze shifted to Ambersky, "Bye bye Ambersky!"
Ambersky smiled, dipping her head to each of the queens, Icecloud, who was tucking in her tiny kits, Dovewing, and then Ivypool, half asleep in the corner of the den, sending a smile Featherkit's way, "Sleep well, little one."
Redflower
A day had passed since the eventful gathering as Redflower sat waiting, in the shadows of the great tree, for Dewclaw's arrival, the moonlight casting the clearing in a silver light. Since that night, SkyClan patrols hadn't detected any scents of the twolegplace cats and, if anything, Redflower found that more worrying. Where on earth were they? What if they attacked? That wasn't the only thing troubling her though.
The dappled tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat shifted uncomfortably, swallowing, her green gaze fixed on the edge of the clearing, where Dewclaw usually arrived from. She knew he would come, she didn't worry about that; the dark grey tom had a tendency to be a little late, she was more worried about when he did arrive. He'd better come.
As the moments passed, her tensions mounting, the tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat decided to occupy herself by grooming, that would surely take her mind off all these troubles that clouded her mind. She focused on the repetitive smooth motion of her tongue as she rasped it over her soft pelt, cleansing her dappled tortoiseshell-and-white fur. She was midway washing when she at last detected movement in the undergrowth and the fern fronds, a silver-hue in the moon's light, parted to reveal Dewclaw.
The dark grey tom paused for a moment, scanning the gathering clearing until he spotted the dappled tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat. Smiling, he bounded over to her.
Redflower gave off a soft purr, quickly smoothing down several hairs that were standing on end, before rising to her paws and crossing to meet him. They immediately entwined tails, pelts smudging together, Redflower's heart still giving that hopeless little flutter that she always got whenever she was around Dewclaw.
"Dewy Claws, I was worried you'd never come," she joked, but her heart wasn't really in it. There were other thoughts on her mind. She swallowed, meeting Dewclaw's amber gaze.
The handsome dark grey tom's whiskers twitched in amusement, "Of course I was coming, I've missed you so much," he nuzzled her gently, planting a tender lick on her cheek, "Seeing you every other night just doesn't feel like enough," he moved away from her, studying her. He seemed to have picked up on her mood. Mouse-dung! He frowned, "Hey, are you okay? Only you seem awfully quiet."
The dappled tortoiseshell warrior swallowed, do I tell him? Should I tell him? She'd been debating it all afternoon. She knew she'd have to tell him at some point, but she was still coming to terms with it herself and she wasn't quite sure how he'd react to it. She wasn't even sure how she was reacting to it! Was she happy? A small part of her was, but it was overshadowed by worry, doubt and anxiety. Only one other cat knew and she wanted to tell Dewclaw before anyone else found out, but could she bring herself to tell him now?
She let her green gaze flit over the dark grey tom for a moment. His dark amber eyes were misted with concern for her and she couldn't help but give a little purr, "You know, you're adorable when you're worried," she told him, voice warm with affection. I'm going to tell him. I've got to tell him. I should just tell him.
The SkyClan she-cat took a deep breath, summoning her courage, "Well, it's just that over the last few days, I've been feeling a bit funny. I kept getting stomach pains and kept snapping at anyone who asked if I was okay," she inhaled again, well, here goes, "So, I decided to go and see Frecklewish this morning, just in case I had some weird illness or something."
Dewclaw held her gaze, tipping his head to one side, "Well?" he meowed impatiently, though Redflower knew it was just due to worry, "You don't have greencough do you? Or whitecough?" he began to fret, concern pooling in his eyes.
Redflower took a deep breath, smiling ever so slightly, "No, I'm fine, well..." she assured him, she hesitated before continuing, "I… I'm expecting kits."
Well, what did you guys think about that? Redflower's expecting Dewclaw's kits! -gasp- How do you think Dewclaw's going to react to that? What do you think's going to happen? Will becoming a mother make Redflower become more mature or will she not be able to cope at such a young age? So many questions! Then there's the twolegplace cats! So much stuff! :)
By the way, that little kit of Icecloud's who was un-named does already have a name planned, she's going to be little Splashkit, so don't worry about suggesting names for her. Redflower's kits have already got names and descriptions too by the way.
Question of the Day ~ What do you think Redflower and Dewclaw's kits are going to look like and what do you think there names will be, if it was up to you? If any of you get a name right, you get a sneak peak of the next chappie! :D
I know I've already said at the top, but I'm thinking of getting a P.O. box. Would anyone write to me? I'd reply to every single letter! :3
Anyway, live, love, read and review! First two reviews get a sneak peak of the next chappie! ^^
Leafy x